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Munich

City in GermanyMunich is in the south of Germany on the River Isar, about 50 km north of the Alps and at about 520 m above sea level.

What it's known for

Munich became the capital of the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1806 and is the capital of the German state of Bavaria. It is known for the Oktoberfest, which began in 1810 to celebrate a royal wedding, for companies such as BMW, Siemens and Allianz, and for hosting the 1972 Summer Olympics.

Fun facts

  1. The name comes from a small monastic settlement called 'zu den Munchen', which means 'to the monks'.
  2. The Hofbräuhaus, built in 1589 for William V of Bavaria, became the model for beer halls.
  3. The Frauenkirche, the city's great church, was built in only 20 years, starting in 1468.

Finding it on the globe

Go to the south-east of Germany, just before the Alps begin: Munich is on the Isar, south and a little west of Berlin, not far from the border with Austria.

Easy to mix up

Munich is the capital of Bavaria, not of Germany. Germany's capital is Berlin, in the north-east of the country.

Sources: Wikipedia: Munich